Blog Posts by LilSugar

LilSugarSource: Want to Have a Smart Baby? Start Trying Today!

Every mama wants to give her baby the chance at life, and one way of doing so is to conceive in the month of December! According to a recent study by the British Institute of Fiscal Studies, babies born in September (thus conceived in December) are smarter than those born in August (or any other month). They're happier in school, do better on exams, ultimately perform better in life. Want to give your baby those advantages? Here are a few things a hopeful mama-to-be can do to increase her chances of adding a baby to the family soon.

• Get to Know Your Go Time: One of the best ways for a woman to increase her chances of getting pregnant is by knowing when she is ovulating. After tracking your cycle for a few months, it's just a matter of using your math skills. Ovulation usually occurs 14 days before bleeding, so if you have a 28-day cycle, then just subtract 14 from the day of your next period to find a good starting point for

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LilSugarSource: Best of 2011: The 20 Best Apps For Kids

Parents with curious young ones quickly realize that what's yours - including your iPhone and iPad - is also theirs. But, hey, sharing is good (right?), especially when you stock your technology with kid-friendly apps guaranteed to keep your tot entertained for hours, or at least wait for the doctor, fold the laundry, or chat with your bestie. Check out our 20 must-have kid apps for 2011, some free, and start downloading now!

• Scout's ABC Garden: LeapFrog's first app, Scout's ABC Garden ($4), is similar to the company's highly praised Leapster and Explorer units, featuring interactive exercises designed to teach lil ones about letters and sounds. Scout and Violet can be personalized to say up to three children's names, their favorite colors, food, and animals. Tots can then explore Scout's garden, pop bubbles, sprinkle seeds, play a whac-a-mole-like game, and listen to kid-friendly songs while practicing their letter skills.

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Source: What's the Strangest Place You Took a Pregnancy Test?

Sometimes you just can't wait! After buying a home pregnancy test, some hopeful mamas-to-be just can't make it home before peeing on the stick. At a recent event introducing the new easy-to-handle Clearblue Plus Pregnancy Test, maternity concierge and BravoTV reality star Rosie Pope revealed that she discovered her third pregnancy at her oldest son's third birthday party. Saying she just couldn't wait to go home to take the test, she snuck into the bathroom and learned the exciting news. Most LilSugar readers told us they took their tests at home, but we want to know - pregnant or not - where was the strangest place you took the test?


Related Content:
I'm Pregnant! Did You Tell Mom, Sibling, or Friend First?
Positive Home Pregnancy Test Keepsake: Don't Do Digital
Five Things to Do Once You Are Pregnant


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Source: Transform Your Empty Boxes Into Instant Toys With Box Play

Kids tend to make toys out of the most amazing and unconventional items. One man's trash, is another kid's toy, so don't be so quick to throw out your empty boxes and containers these days. Box Play For Kids created a line of 100 percent recycled stickers ($4-$12) to fit over milk cartons, toilet paper rolls, and egg cartons, so lil ones can bring new life to what otherwise would be thrown away. Make bracelets or army binoculars out of toilet paper rolls. An old box can turn into a sushi bento box or a turntable. Like Rolobox - the wheels that convert empty cardboard boxes into vehicles - through an afternoon of play, these stickers subtly teach tots that recycling can mean more than placing garbage in a blue bin in the garage.


Related Content:
Teach, Don't Preach: Texts to Educate Kids About Saving the Environment
Refuse, Refuse, Refuse, Then Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: 10 Tips For Going Zero-Waste With Kids
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Best New Baby Toys 2011Source: Best of 2011: What Was Your Favorite New Baby Toy?

Lots of new toys for baby hit stores this year - did any of them make it to your little one's toy box? Eco-conscious new mamas loved the new Plan Toys' Baby Activity Gym ($60) and the P'kolino Fishing Hole Size Sorter ($25). Little tykes were delighted by the Fisher-Price Little People Wheelies Zig the Big Rig ($30), while pint-sized Sesame Street fans went ga-ga for Let's Rock Elmo ($49) and Count and Crunch Cookie Monster ($23)! So which new baby toy did your little one love the most? Vote here or add another toy in the comments.


Related Content:
Kiddie Tablets: Let's Compare the LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer and the vTech InnoTab
Lil Gift Guide: 10 Great Hanukkah Gifts to Last 8 Nights
7 Ugly Christmas Sweaters For Tots With a Sense of Humor


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Source: Say Thanks! 5 Terrific Gifts For Teachers

Teachers are pillars of our communities. They teach our children their ABCs, their 123s, and about the world. They care for our children - and during the holidays we want to say thanks!

Shopping for a teacher's gift can be a little difficult, since most mamas don't know their tots' instructors outside of school. Check out these five thoughtful gift ideas for teachers and show them how appreciated they really are with a gift they're sure to love!

1.Recycled Alphabet Rainbow Crayons ($20): : A functional and beautiful gift! Give your tot's beloved teacher a set of Recycled Alphabet Rainbow Crayons in appreciation for all that she does. They come individually wrapped - so you can arrange them nicely in a basket or bag - and can be used as school supplies, too.
2. Personalized Teacher Notepads ($20): Teachers are always sending home little notes for mama, so why not give her the gift of paper? We're crushing on this sweet, Read More »from Say Thanks! 5 Terrific Gifts for Teachers

LilSugarSource: 6 Helpful Tips (and Tricks) For Potty-Training Success

Feeling the stress of potty training your tot? The feat of potty training a child just might be mama's hardest task. Mama's read all the books and watched for all the signs of readiness, but nothing! Have no fear - and check out these six helpful tips (and tricks) for potty-training success.

• A Potty Book For Baby!: From the author of the best-selling Where Is Baby's Belly Button? comes A Potty For Me! ($8) - a rhymed book that uses color cartoon illustrations of a child of indeterminate gender who tries, with mixed results, to use the potty.
• Pull-Ups iGo Potty (Free): Consistency is key! Lots of mamas - and experts - swear by sitting your tot on the potty at regular intervals. Download the free app, Pull-Ups iGo Potty and set up an alarm to remind yourself it's potty time!
• Elmo's Potty Time DVD ($9): See, Elmo uses the potty, too! Many veteran mamas credit their potty-training success to the help

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Source: Kiddie Tablets: Let's Compare the Leapfrog LeapPad Explorer and the VTech InnoTab

The iPad may be top on Mama's holiday wish list this year, but there's a good chance it's on her tot's too! Kids can't keep their hands off the tablets, leading two of the largest educational games manufacturers to create tot-friendly versions this year. I told you about the LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer ($100) when it first hit the market this Fall, and now I just finished playing around with the VTech InnoTab ($79) and can't help but compare the two units. Similarly priced, they are both designed for kids 4 to 9 years old, both run on four AA batteries (or, better yet, burn through them), and both are designed to educate as lil ones interact with their favorite characters. Though neither device runs as fast as an iPad (and neither offers a WiFi option), gadget-oriented kids can't put them down. See how the two hot holiday gift items compare!

Screen size Both learning tablets have five-inch color

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